StratoSort Core — Install Guide

One download. No command line. No extra software.

This guide is for people who download the installer from Releases. If you’re a developer building from source, see Getting Started.

Before You Start

Requirement Details
Windows Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)
macOS macOS 10.15 or later (Apple Silicon — M1/M2/M3/M4)
Linux 64-bit distribution (Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 38+, etc.)
RAM 8 GB minimum, 16 GB recommended
Disk space ~500 MB for the app + ~2-5 GB for AI models
Internet Needed once to download AI models; app runs offline after

Step 1: Download the Right File

Go to StratoSort Core Releases and download one file for your system. Pick the installer version — it includes automatic updates so you always have the latest features and fixes without re-downloading.

Windows

Download: StratoSortCore-Setup-X.X.X.exe (recommended — full installer with automatic updates)

This is the full installer with automatic updates built in. It creates a Start Menu shortcut, a desktop shortcut, and keeps itself up to date in the background.

File What it is Auto-updates?
StratoSortCore-Setup-X.X.X.exe Full installer Yes — updates download and install automatically
StratoSortCore-X.X.X-win-x64.exe Portable (runs without installing) No — you must re-download each new version manually

Only use the portable version if you specifically cannot install software on your machine (e.g. restricted work computer). The portable version does not auto-update.

macOS — Apple Silicon only

StratoSort Core for macOS supports Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4, or newer) only. Intel Macs are no longer supported.

Download: StratoSortCore-X.X.X-mac-arm64.dmg (full installer with automatic updates)

This is the full installer with automatic updates. If you have an older Intel Mac, you will need to use a different machine or upgrade.

Linux

Download: StratoSortCore-X.X.X-linux-x64.AppImage (recommended — universal, runs on any 64-bit Linux)

The AppImage is a single file that runs on virtually any 64-bit Linux distribution. It includes automatic updates.

File What it is Auto-updates?
StratoSortCore-X.X.X-linux-x64.AppImage AppImage (universal) Yes — updates download and install automatically
StratoSortCore-X.X.X-linux-x64.deb Debian/Ubuntu package No — you must re-download each new version manually

Only use the .deb if you specifically prefer managing packages with apt/dpkg. The .deb does not auto-update.

Quick reference — which file to download

Your computer Download this one file
Windows PC (any 64-bit) StratoSortCore-Setup-X.X.X.exe
Mac with Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3/M4) StratoSortCore-X.X.X-mac-arm64.dmg
Linux (any 64-bit distro) StratoSortCore-X.X.X-linux-x64.AppImage

All three are full installers with automatic updates included.

Optional: Verify Download Integrity

You can verify that the file you downloaded wasn’t corrupted or tampered with. This is optional.

Download the matching checksum file from the same Releases page:

  • Windows: checksums-windows.sha256
  • macOS: checksums-macos.sha256
  • Linux: checksums-linux.sha256

Then run the appropriate command:

Windows (PowerShell)

Get-FileHash .\StratoSortCore-Setup-X.X.X.exe -Algorithm SHA256

macOS (Terminal)

shasum -a 256 StratoSortCore-X.X.X-mac-arm64.dmg

Linux (Terminal)

sha256sum StratoSortCore-X.X.X-linux-x64.AppImage

Compare the hash output to the matching entry in the checksum file. They should match exactly.

Step 2: Install and Run

Windows

  1. Double-click StratoSortCore-Setup-X.X.X.exe.
  2. If Windows SmartScreen shows “Windows protected your PC”:
    • Click “More info”
    • Click “Run anyway”
  3. Follow the installer prompts (choose install location, shortcuts, etc.).
  4. Launch StratoSort Core from the Start menu or desktop shortcut.

Why this can happen: During beta, Windows builds may be unsigned and SmartScreen may warn before launch. Verify the download checksum and continue only if it matches the release notes.

macOS

  1. Double-click the downloaded .dmg file.
  2. Drag StratoSort Core into the Applications folder.
  3. Eject the DMG (right-click it in Finder sidebar and select Eject).
  4. Open StratoSort Core from Applications.
  5. If macOS says “StratoSort Core cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified”:
    • Option A (easiest): Right-click the app in Applications, click Open, then click Open again in the dialog.
    • Option B: Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll down → click Open Anyway next to StratoSort Core.

Why this can happen: During beta, macOS builds may be unsigned or unnotarized. Gatekeeper can also block incomplete or corrupted downloads. Verify checksums to ensure the download is valid.

Linux (AppImage)

  1. Make the AppImage executable:
chmod +x StratoSortCore-X.X.X-linux-x64.AppImage
  1. Double-click to run, or launch from a terminal:
./StratoSortCore-X.X.X-linux-x64.AppImage

Linux (Debian package)

  1. Install:
sudo dpkg -i StratoSortCore-X.X.X-linux-x64.deb
  1. Launch StratoSort Core from your application menu.
  2. Important: The .deb version does not auto-update. To get a new version, download and install the latest .deb from Releases.

Step 3: First Launch — AI Model Setup

When you open StratoSort for the first time, it will ask you to download AI models. This is a one-time download. After this, the app runs completely offline.

  1. The AI Model Setup wizard appears automatically.
  2. Choose a model profile:
Profile Best for Download size What you get
Base (Small & Fast) All computers, including older machines and CPU-only systems ~2 GB Smaller, faster models that work everywhere
Better Quality (Larger) Modern hardware with 16 GB+ RAM and a dedicated GPU ~5 GB Larger models with higher quality analysis
  1. Click Download Models and wait for the progress bars to complete.
  2. When all models finish, click Get Started.

What gets downloaded? Three AI model files for text analysis, image understanding, and semantic search (GGUF format). They are stored locally on your computer and never sent anywhere.

Can I change this later? Yes. Go to Settings → AI Configuration → Default AI Models to switch profiles or download additional models at any time.

Can I keep using the app while models download? Yes. Click Continue with limited AI if you want to explore the app immediately. AI features will become available once the download finishes.

How Automatic Updates Work

If you installed using the recommended installer (Setup .exe, .dmg, or .AppImage), the app checks for updates automatically:

  1. When you launch the app, it checks GitHub Releases for a newer version in the background.
  2. If an update is available, it downloads silently.
  3. The update installs the next time you restart the app.
  4. You don’t need to do anything — it just works.

Note: Automatic updates only work with the installer versions. If you chose the portable .exe or .deb package, you must check Releases periodically and download new versions manually.

Summary

Step What you do
Download One file from GitHub Releases (pick the installer for your OS — see table above)
Install Run the installer; allow it if your OS shows a security warning
First run Choose a model profile and download AI models (~2-5 GB, one time)
Updates Automatic — the app handles it in the background
Done Use StratoSort; everything runs locally on your machine

No terminal. No Python. No Docker. No API keys.

Troubleshooting

Windows: “This app has been blocked for your protection”

  • Click More info → Run anyway.
  • If you don’t see “Run anyway”, your organization may have blocked unsigned apps. You would need to install on a personal device or ask your IT admin.

macOS: App won’t open even after Right-click → Open

  • Go to System Settings → Privacy & Security.
  • Scroll to the Security section.
  • Look for a message about StratoSort Core being blocked and click Open Anyway.

macOS: “StratoSort Core is damaged and can’t be opened”

This can happen if the quarantine attribute wasn’t cleared. Run this in Terminal:

xattr -cr /Applications/StratoSort\ Core.app

Then try opening the app again.

Models failed to download

  • Check your internet connection.
  • Try again from Settings → AI Configuration → Model Management → Download Models.
  • Ensure you have at least 5 GB of free disk space.
  • If downloads keep failing, check if a firewall or VPN is blocking connections to huggingface.co.

Vision / image analysis not working

  • Open Settings → AI Configuration and check that the vision model shows as downloaded.
  • If the vision model is missing, download it from the model management section.

App feels slow or unresponsive

  • The “Base (Small & Fast)” model profile uses less RAM and runs faster on older hardware.
  • Close other memory-heavy applications while using StratoSort.
  • If you have a dedicated GPU (NVIDIA, AMD, or Apple Silicon), StratoSort will use it automatically.

Where does StratoSort store data?

Data Location
App settings Your OS app data folder (automatic)
AI models Inside the app data folder under models/ (~2-5 GB)
Your files StratoSort never copies your files. It reads them in place and only moves them when you approve an organization suggestion.

StratoSort never sends data over the internet after the initial model download.

Security

StratoSort Core:

If you see “developer cannot be verified” / SmartScreen warnings during beta, first verify checksums from the release page and ensure you downloaded the correct OS/architecture artifact before proceeding.

Next Steps